Portland, Ore. - Niagara baseball fell to Portland 3-1 in the second game of a three-game weekend non-conference series Saturday night.

The Purple Eagles fell to 0-8, while the Pilots improved to 4-5.

Niagara started off hot in the first inning as Rees Kozar singled to get on base and made his way to third due to a passed ball and a sac fly off the bat of Curtis McKay. Kozar got the Purple Eagles on the board, scoring on a wild pitch.

The lead was short lived though as Portland capitalized on an RBI single to knot the game up at one in the bottom of the frame.

The next six innings all went scoreless as Purple Eagles starter Nate Bennett went 5.0 innings striking out seven batters. 

Luke Glenn came on for relief to start the sixth and threw a scoreless inning, retiring all three batters. 

The Pilots eventually got things going in the seventh scoring on a sacrifice fly to take their first lead of the game. Andrew Damiani came in for Glenn after that batter. 

Portland doubled their lead later in the seventh on a single to shallow right field that allowed the runner to score from second base.

The final two innings went scoreless, but Niagara tried to mount a comeback in the top of the ninth with McKay, Jacob Brooks and Elijha Hammill all recording singles, but could not get brought home.

Game Notes

Niagara is now 1-5 all-time against Portland

Hammill recorded his first multi-game of the season

Bennett tied a career-high with seven strikeouts

Brooks recorded a hit for the third consecutive game

Up Next

Niagara wraps up the weekend series with Portland Sunday March 1 at 3:00 PM.